The invention relates to a locking system for two brake pedals of a motor vehicle mounted on a common shaft, especially of a tractor (i.e., a tractor section of a tractor-trailer unit), by means of which opposite pairs of wheels, preferably the rear wheels of the vehicle, can be actuatable jointly and/or separately, depending on the position of a pin in the system.
A known locking system of the above-mentioned design (German Auslegeschrift No. 1,580,030) merely comprises a projecting bolt which is introduced into or removed from openings in the pedal in appropriate operating situations. This design not only suffers from the disadvantage that the bolt can come loose spontaneously from its designated position as a result of the vibration of the vehicle, but also that its actuation (locking and unlocking) is accomplished exclusively manually, forcing the driver usually to adopt an inconvenient position.
An object of the invention is thus to provide a locking system for brake pedals which is simple in design and contributes to a higher comfort.
This object is achieved according to a preferred embodiment of the invention by virtue of the fact that a bolt, which abuts a spring, is provided with a first stop and a second stop to assume a locked and an unlocked position, said stops being staggered with respect to one another axially and radially, and being brought to bear against a side wall of a pedal running transversely to the lengthwise axis of the bolt by rotational and axial movements of the bolt. It is of advantage in this connection if two bearing eyes are provided to support the bolt on a pedal. An eye is provided on the other pedal, and the bolt enters this eye in the locked position. The spring surrounds the bolt, is designed as a compression spring and is disposed between the two eyes, whereby it abuts an eye at one end and a disc on the bolt at the other. The first stop is formed by a bend in the bolt. The second stop is formed by a bend in a pin welded to the bolt. The pin has a section which runs parallel to the bolt, said section being prevented from rotating in the locked position by a guide element on the pedal. When it abuts the side wall, the stop rests against a locking part and is held in place by means of a projection with a spherical section. In addition, the stops project beyond the side wall of the pedal.
The principal advantages achieved with the invention include the fact that the arrangement and design of the bolt and the stops create a locking system which the driver can easily operate with his foot and therefore improves comfort. The mechanical parts are protected, for example, against contamination, by being located behind the footrest plate of the pedal. The stops are formed by parts which are simple in construction. The guiding element of the pedal and the arrangement of the pin relative to the bolt ensure that improper actuation is ruled out.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a single embodiment in accordance with the present invention.